Life-preserver.



W. H. DE FONTAINE & W. H. DE FONTAINE, JR;

LIFE PRESERVER. APPLICATION FILED MAY 27. 1918- 1,290,927. PatentedJ5n.14,1919.

........ h INVENTOR d r it; 6) W I I' mean s'rA'rEs PATENT ornmn WADEHAMPTON DE FONTAINE AND WADE HAMPTON DE FONTAIN E, JR., 0]? NEW YORK, N.Y.

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Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

Application filed May 27, 1918. Serial No. 236,705.

Improvements in and Relating to Life-Preservers, of which the followingis a full, clear, concise, and exact description, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which our invention relates to make and usethe same,-reference being made therein to the accompanying drawing,which forms a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to life preservers of the type or class having a.hollow collapsible and inflatable supporting member, to-

gether with means for supplying gas to the interior of said member tothere y lnflate and expand the same and render it buoyant,

. because of the volume of water displaced by it; and particularly tolife preservers of the type or kind above referred to and in which theoperation of the inflating means, device,

or mechanism is dependent upon the action of the water in which thepreserver floats; so that the inflation of the inflatable member willtake place when the preserver reaches the water, and is brought about bythe action of the water upon some element or device present in andforming a part thereof.

The object of our invention is to provide a life preserver of thegeneral type above referred to and one in which the inflation of theinflatable member is entirely automatic, and requires no act whatever onthe part of the wearer in order to insure the inflation of said member;so that should a person wearing a preserver made in accordance with ourlnvention sufl'er ln ury, become bewildered,

or be otherwise incapacitated from acting during the confusionordinarily incident to the sinking or to serious injury inflicted uponor sufiered by a vessel, then and in that event the inflatable member ofthe preserver will, upon the falling of the-person wearing A furtherobject of our invention is to provide a life preserver of the type inquestion in which the means for accomplishing the inflation of theinflatable member is in the form of a single unitary device orstructure, and is entirely independent of the specific form, shape, orother characteristics of the inflatable member; so that inflatingmechanism of one standard form and construction may be used withinflatable members of various shapes and forms, and with inflatablemembers adapted to be secured to and worn in various positions upon thebody of the user.

A further object of our invention is to provide a life preserver havingthe features above enumerated and one which will be simple inconstruction, reliable in its operation, and effective for the purposefor which it is designed, and which may be manufactured and assembledand made ready for use, at a minimum of expense.

lVith the above and other objects of invention in view, our inventionconsists in the improved life preserver illustrated in Figure 1 is aView showing our invention as applied to an ordinary form of lifepreserver, in the form of a belt designedto extend about the body of auser;

Fig. 2 is a view upon a considerably en-' larged J scale showing the gasgenerating mechanism by itself, a portion of the casing thereof beingbroken away to show features of internal construction;

Fig. 3 is a view showing a section upon a plane indicated by the line 33of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4: is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the parts in anotherphsition.

Referring now to the drawing, Fig. 1 illustrates a complete lifepreserver made in ac cordance with our invention, while Figs. 2, 3 and dillustrate the gas generating mechanism thereof by itself, andunconnected with the hollow inflatable member designed to be secured toa person; it being expressly un derstood that our invention includes gasgenerating mechanism pe'r 8'6, and apart. from an inflatable member, aswell also as the combination of a gas generating device and aninflatable member; and that the gas generating mechanism as a unitarystructure may be secured to any kind of a hollow 1nflatable member, andto inflatable members designed to be secured to or worn in varlouspositions by and upon the person of the user of the device. p

In Fig. 1 the gas generating mechanism is shbwn as secured to andcarried by a hollow inflatable member 3 in the form of a belt designedto extend about the'body of the wearer, and vthe ends of which aresecuredtogether in any way as by means of the fasteningmembers 4, 5; thegas generating device as a whole and indicated in this figure by thereference numeral 6, being shown upon a larger scale in Figs. 2, 3 and4. Referring now to Figs. 2 to 4, the reference numeral 7 designates aportion of the wall of a hollow inflatable member, the same beingprovided with an opening Withinwhich the gas generating mechanism issecured; the said gas generating mechanism j having a closed casingwithin which the various elements thereof are contained; and

which casing is made up of an inner casing member 8, an outer annularcasing member 9, and a cover 10 closing the central opening edges oftheperipheries of the casing mem- V bers in order to secure a'tight jointbetween in the annular casing member; said casing members being securedtogether and in place 1n the opening in the wall 7 by screws 11extending through holes in the ,casing members and into threadedopenings provided in a ring 12 between which and a flange on the innercasing member the edge of the inflatable member is clamped, in theembodiment of our invention illustrated; a gasket 13 being interposedbetween the meeting the parts, as will be appreciated.

The cover 10 is provlded with a depend- 111g annular portion or flangelei: which is in threaded engagementwith an opening provided in theannular casing member 9, and

the inner end 15 of this depending portion forms a valve seat (referredto hereinafter and in various of the concludlng clalms as asecond valveseat), and a plurahty'of holesv 16 are rovided in said' cover throughwhich water may flowj when the preserve'r comes into contact wlth thewater; the holes forming a normally open water inlet passage through.which water'may flow into the interior of the casing of the f gasgenerating device, and which passage extends past and is surrounded bythe valve; seat 15, as will be appreciated. Said cover 10 is alsoprovided, with astrut member 17 which serves as a'guide for and as apart of locking mechanism associated with and adapted to hold a valvelocated Within the casing upon its seat, as will hereinafter appear.

The inner casing member 8 is so shaped as to provide a chamber 18adapted to contain a substancewhich will generate a gas when water comesinto contact therewith, such, for

example, as ca cium car-bidthe said chamber being located in line'andconcentric with theopening into which the cover 10 fits, and the samebeing annular in form in the embodiment of our invention illustrated;and the inner of the concentric walls 19, 20 of the said chamber forms agas outlet passage through which gas may flow from the interior of thecasing into the hollow inflatable member to thereby dilate the same. Theparticular form and location of the chamber in question, as well as theform and locationv of the gas outlet passage are, however, of secondaryimportance, and may be varied 1 within the scope of the concludingclaims mences, there will be a sufiicient supply of v water within thecasing to carry on the generation of the gas and to secure theproduction of a quantity thereof sufficient to accomplish the properinflation of the hollow inflatable member.

Located within the casing of the gas gen- .erating mechanism is a valve23 which, in

effect, forms a cover or closure for the inlet to the carbid containingchamber 18, the periphery of said valve seating upon the valve seat 21and thus preventing the entrance of water into said chamber until thevalve shall have moved off its seat; and which valve also-serves to sealthe contents of the said chamber and prevent access of air carryingmoisture thereto which, if not prevented, would tend to cause a gradualgeneration of gas due to the slow decomposition of the carbid caused'bythe presence of moisture in the air. This sealing of the contents of thechamber which contains the gas generating material is ,the more .per-

fectly accomplished in the form of our invention illustrated in whichthe gas outlet passage from the interior of the casing in fact leadsfrom the carbid chamber, by pro: "viding a second valve 24, which issecured to and moves with the valve 23 and. seats upon the upper end ofthe inner annular wall- 20 which forms the gas outlet passage.

The valvedesignated as a whole by the reference numeral 23 is preferablymade up I move it off its seat and which, in the em-v of spaced upperand lower plates 25, 26 between which a flexible soft rubber disk 27 isclamped, and the valve 24 which is also of soft rubber rests against thelower of said disks. The disks and the two valves are held together by acentrally located tubular sleeve or guide 28 extending through openingsprovided in said members and having a shoulder against which the upperdisk abuts, and a washer 29 at its lower or inner end; said guide havinga central passage into which the free end of thestrut member 17 extendswhereby said valve is guided by the said-strut member when it moves fromits seat, as will be understood. The valve 23 is acted upon by a springwhich tends to bodiment of our invention illustrated, is located withinthe carbid chamber 18 and surrounds the inner annular wall 20 thereof,and to which spring the reference numeral 30 is applied. p

The valve 23 is held in place upon the seat 21, thus sealing thecontents of the chamber 18, by means dependent upon and controlled by asoluble member located within the casing of the gas generator in theembodiment of our invention illustrated,

and which holding means when released by the action of Water upon thesoluble member releases the valve and permits the spring 30 to move thesame away from the seat 21 and into contact with the second seat 15,. tothereby arrest the flow of water into the casing and permit the waterwhich has already entered thereinto to come into contact with the gasgenerating substance or material contained in the chamber 18; thepreferred form of holding, locking, and releasing mechanism and theoperation thereof to accomplish the results enumerated being V asfollows: The upper of the valve disks 23 carries a movable lockingmember shown as in the form of a U-shaped spring 31 one end of whichissecured in an abutment 32 struck up from the material of the disk andbent down over the spring, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4;, and which springextends about a guide 33 also struck up from the disk; the free end ofsaid spring which forms a movable locking member lying in a recess 34:provided in the tubular guide 28, and the-said end being normally inline with the end of the strut 17. The said free end of the movablelocking member is held in the normal locking position in which it isshown in Figs. 2 and 3 by a soluble member 35 carried by the disk 23 andheld in place by an'abutment 36 thereupon. When, however, water enteringthe casing has dissolved the said soluble member, which, may be a blockofsugar or any other suitable soluble substance, or weakened it to suchan extent that the force 0f.the spring 31 may crush it, then the lockingmember will move out of the recess 34 and away from in front of the endof the strut 17, and the spring 30 will move the valve 23 ofi its seatas hereinbefore explained; it being understood that the valve inquestion is normally closed on to the seat 21, and that the lockingmember or spring- 31 normally lies opposite the end of the strut 17 tothereby lock the valve in place upon its seat.

In view of the premises it will be appreciated that should a personwearing a life preserver equipped with or made in accordance with ourinvention fall, jump or be thrown into the water, perhaps in an in-.jured or unconscious condition, water will 23 from the locking actiohof the strut 17 and movable locking member normally lying opposite itsfree inner end, and'permits the spring 30. to move the said valve awayvfrom the valve seat 21 and into engagement with the second'valve seat15, thus arresting the flow of water into the casing.

Before the upward'movement of the valve 23 occurs, ,however, a;considerable quantity of water will have entered the casing, or at leasta quantity suflicient for the end to be accomplished, the interior ofthe casing being quite roomy and additional water re ceiving and holdingcapacity being provided for by the annular groove 22. When the saidvalve moves from its seat it uncovers the mass of calcium carbid orother gas generating material contained within the chamber 18, and thewater present within the casing is thus permitted to come into contactwith the gas generating material; whereupon a gas is produced whichflows through the gas outlet passage formed by the wall 20 and into theinterior of the hollow inflatable member, thus inflating and distendingit in a manner which is entirely automatic, and without any attention onthe part of the wearer or theperforming by him of any act or operationwhatever upon the preserver or upon the mechanism thereof whereby thegas for infiatingthe same is generated or 'into the casing, prevents theflow of gas therefrom; and the. force with. which the valve. is pressedagainst this last mentioned hollow inflatable member; a casing carriedby said member and having a normally open water inlet passage, a chamberadapted to contain a gas generating substance, and a "gas outlet passagethrough which gas may flow into said inflatable member; a valve seatextending about the inlet leading into said' chamber; a valve withinsaid casing and adapted to seat upon said valve seat to thereby preventthe entrance of water into I said chamber; a spring acting upon saidvalve and tending to move it ofl its seat; means for holding said valvein place upon its seat; and locking means cooperating with said holdingmeans and adapted to be held in its normal locking position by a solublemember located within said casing.

2. In a device of the class described, a hollow inflatable member; acasing carried by said member and having a normally open water inletpassage, a chamber adapted to contain a gas generating substance, and agas outletpassage through which gas may flow into sald inflatablemember; a valve seat extending about the inlet to said chamber; a valvewithin said casing and'adapted to seat upon said valve seat to therebyprevent the entrance of water into said chamber; a spring acting uponsaid valve and tending to move it off its seat; and means controlled bya soluble member within said casing for holding said valve upon itsseat, and for releasing said valve and permitting said spring to movethe same ofl its seat when water has acted member.

3. In a device ofthe class described, a hollow inflatable member; acasing carried by said member and having anormally open water inletpassage, a chamber adapted to contain. a gas generating substance, and agas outlet passage through which gas may flow into said inflatablemember; a valve seat surrounding the inlet to said chamber; a valvewithin said casing and adapted to seat upon said valve'seat to therebyprevent the entrance of water into'said chamber; a spring acting uponsaid valve and tending to move it off its seat; a strut carried by thewall. of said casing and extendin toward said valve a resilient lockinmem 1' carried by sa'd valve; and a so \lble member carried by saidvalve and, adapted to hold said resilient member in, place between the'endof said strut and the said valve to thereby prevent movement of thevalve away from 1ts seat.

4. In a device of. the class described, a casupon said soluble inghaving an opening leading thereinto, a chamber located in line with saidopening and adapted to contain a gas generating substance, and a gasoutlet passage; a perforated cover for closing said openlng; a valveseat surrounding the inlet leading into said chamber; a valve withinsaid casing and adapted to seat upon said valve seat; a spring actingupon said valve and tending to move it ofl its seat; a tubular guidecarried by said'valve; a strut carried by said cover and extending intosaid tubular guide; a resilient locking member carried by said valve andlying within a recess provided in said guide and in line with the end ofsaid strut to thereby hold said valve upon its seat; and a solublemember carried by said valve and adapted to hold said lockingmemberwithin said recess and in linewith the end of said strut.

5. In a device of the class described, a casing having a circularopening leading thereinto, an annular chamber concentric and located inline with said opening and adapted to contain a gas generatingsubstance, and a gas outlet passage surrounded by said annular chamber;a perforated cover for closing said opening; a valve seat surroundingthe inlet leading into said chamber; a valve withy in said casingandadapted to seat upon said valve seat to thereby prevent the entrance ofwater into said chamber; a sprlng within said. annular chamber andsurrounding the gas outlet passage aforesaid, and which spring tends tomove said valve 03 its seat; a tubular guide carried by said valve; astrut carried by said cover and extending into said tubular guide; aresilient locking member carried by said valve and lying within a recessprovided in said guide and in line with the end of said strut to therebyhold said, valve upon its seat; a soluble-member carried by said valveand adapted to hold said locking member within said recess and in linewith the end of said strut; and a second valve carried by said firstmentioned valve-and adapted to close the gas outlet.

passage aforesaid when said first mentioned valve isupon its seat.

6. In a device of the class described, a cas ing having a, normally openwater inlet pasthe inlet lead-' upon said. valve and tendin to move itofi its seat; and. means controlled v a soluble member within saidcasing for holding said valve upon its seat, and fox-releasing saidvalve so that it may move from its seat when water has acted" upon saidsoluble memben ',7. In a device of the'class described, a

valve seat to casing having a normally open water sup ply passage, achamber adapted to contain a gas generating substance, and a gas outletpassage; a valve seat surrounding said chamber; a valve within saidcasing and adapted to seat upon said valve seat to thereby prevent theentrance of water into said chamber; a spring acting upon said valve tomove it off its seat; and means controlled by a soluble member forholding said valve upon itssseat, and for releasing said valve so thatsaid spring may move it from its seat when water has acted upon saidsoluble member. I

8. In a device of the class described, a casing having a normally openwater inlet passage, a chamber adapted to contain a gas generatingsubstance, and a gas outlet passage; a valve seat surrounding the inletleading into said chamber; a valve .within said casing and adapted toseat upon said thereby prevent the entrance of water into said chamber;a spring acting upon said valve and tending to move it 0 its seat; astrut extending from the wall of said casing toward said valve; amovable locking member interposed between said valve and the end of saidstrut; means tending to move said locking member from its normalposition between the said valve and the end of said strut; and a solublemember adapted to hold said locking member in its normal positionbetween said valve and the end of said strut.

9. In a device of the class described, a casing having a circularopening leading thereinto, an annular chamber concentric and located inline with said dpening and adapted to contain a gas generatingsubstance, and agas outlet passage formed by the inner of the two wallsof said annular chamber; a perforated cover for closing said opening; avalve seat surrounding the inlet leading into said chamber; a valvewithin said casing and adapted to seat upon said valve seat to therebyprevent the entry of water into said chamber; a spring actin upon saidvalve and tending to move it 0% its seat; a tubular guide carried bysaid valve; a strut carrie by said cover and extending into said tubularguide; a movable locking member lying within a recess provided in saidguide and in line with the end of said strut; means tending to move saidlocking member out of its normal position within said recess; and asoluble member adapted to hold said locking member inits normal positionwithin said recess.

passage; a valve seat surrounding the inlet leading into said chamber; avalve within said casing and adapted to seat upon said valve seat tothereby prevent the entrance of water into said chamber; means actingupon said valve and tendin to move it ofi its seat; means controlled bya soluble member within said casing for holding said valve upon itsseat, and for releasing said valve so that it mayv be moved from itsseat when water has acted upon said soluble member; and a second Valvecarried by said first mentioned valve and adapted to close the gasoutlet passage aforesaid when said first mentioned valve is upon itsseat.

11. In a device of the class described, a casing having a normally openWater inlet passage, an annular chamber adapted to contain a gasgenerating substance, and a gas outlet passage provided by the inner oneof the walls of said annular chamber; a valve seat surrounding theinletleading into said chamber; a valve within said casing and adaptedtoseat upon said valve seat and for releasing said valve so that it may bemoved from its seat when water has acted upon said soluble member; and asecond valve carried by said first mentioned valve and adapted to closethe gas outlet passage aforesaid when said first mentioned valve is uponis seat. 7 Y 12. In a device of the class described, a casing having anormally open water supply passage, a chamber adapted to contain a gasgenerating substance, and a gas outlet passage; a valve seat surroundingsaid 'cham ber; a valve within said casing and adapted to seat upon saidvalve seat to thereby prevent the entrance of water into said chamber; aspringacting upon said valve to move it ofi' its seat; means controlledby a soluble member for holding said valve upon its seat, and forreleasing said valve so that said spring may move it from its seat whenwater has acted upon said soluble member; and means whereby the flow ofwater through said water supply passage and into said casing is arrestedwhen said valve is moved from its seat by said spring.

13 In a device of the class described, a

casing having a normally open water inlet passage, a chamber adapted tocontain a gas casing strut; means tending to movesaid locking memberfrom its normal position to thereby permit said spring to move saidvalve 0 its seat; a soluble member carriedby said valve and adapted tohold said locking member in its normal position; and a second valve seatagainst which said valve is moved by said sprlng after it is releasedfrom the holding action of said locking member, as aforesaid, to therebyarrest the flow of water into said casing. v

14. In a device of the class described, a having a circular openingleading thereinto, an annular chamber concentric and located in linewith said opening and tending into said tubular guide; a movable lockingmemberlying within a recess provided in said guide and in line with theend of said strut; means tending to move said locking member out of itsnormal position within said recess; a soluble member adapted to holdsaid lockingrmember in its normal position within said recess; and asecond valve seat formed by and upon a depending annular flange wherebysaid cover-is secured in place, and into engagement with'whioh saidvalve is moved by said spring after it has been released from theholding action of said locking member.

.15. In a device of the class described, a casing having a normally openwater supply passage, a chamber adapted to contain a gas generatingsubstance, and a gas outlet passage; a valve seat surrounding saidchamber;

a valve within said casing and adapted to seat upon said valve seat tothereby prevent the entrance of water into said chamber; a spring actingupon said valve to move it ofi' its seat; means controlled by a solublemember for holding said valve upon its seat,

and for releasing said valve sothat said' spring may move it from itsseat when water has acted upon said soluble member; and a second valveseat past which water flowing through said water supply passage flows,

and against which said yalve is moved bysaid spring after it has beenreleased as aforesaid, tothereby arrest the flow of water into saidcasing.

In testimony whereof we have signed'our.

names to this specificationat New York. New, York, this 23d day of May,1918.

WADE HAMPTQN DE FONTAINE." WADE HMPTON DE FONTAINE, JR.

